Hydrogen Economy: Not So Difficult—Without Nuclear Power

This research paper, submitted as a 'Brief Communication Arising' to Nature, argues that a United States hydrogen economy is practical and economically viable without the expansion of nuclear power. The author contends that fuel cells will accelerate the decline of nuclear power by providing cheaper energy services and that wind power is a more cost-effective method for hydrogen production via electrolysis than nuclear electricity.

• The author disputes claims that a U.S. hydrogen economy would require a fourfold expansion of nuclear power, arguing instead that fuel cells will hasten the market-driven decline of nuclear power by offering cheaper energy services. An orderly transition to hydrogen would likely require less capital, less oil and coal, and potentially less total land than a business-as-usual oil-based scenario.
• While some estimates suggest U.S. highway vehicles would need 230 kT of hydrogen per day, the author argues that efficiency gains in light vehicles (up to 5x) and heavy vehicles (up to 2x) could reduce this requirement to 50 MT/y. This amount could be produced using 2.2 PWh/y from wind turbines located on a small percentage of the windiest land in North and South Dakota.
• Wind power is presented as a more competitive energy source for electrolysis than nuclear power. New wind power was selling for $0.025/kWh in 2003, whereas projected costs for new U.S. nuclear plants' sent-out electricity were estimated between $0.042/kWh and $0.067/kWh.
• The author asserts that market economics provide a better deterrent against the proliferation of nuclear weapons than other methods, as the problem of proliferation is potentially manageable without the existence of nuclear power.

APA

Lovins, A. B. (2003). Hydrogen Economy: Not So Difficult—Without Nuclear Power. RMI. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03-06HydrogenEconomyNotSoDifficultWithoutNuclearPower.pdf

Chicago

Lovins, Amory B. Hydrogen Economy: Not So Difficult—Without Nuclear Power. RMI, 2003. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03-06HydrogenEconomyNotSoDifficultWithoutNuclearPower.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lovins |first1=Amory B. |title=Hydrogen Economy: Not So Difficult—Without Nuclear Power |publisher=RMI |date=23 August 2003 |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03-06HydrogenEconomyNotSoDifficultWithoutNuclearPower.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lovins2003hydrogen, author = {Lovins, Amory B.}, title = {{Hydrogen Economy: Not So Difficult—Without Nuclear Power}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2003}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/05/RMI_Document_Repository_Public-Reprts_E03-06HydrogenEconomyNotSoDifficultWithoutNuclearPower.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }